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Airport · LGA · New York, New York

New York, NY

New York, NY posts bottom-quartile on-time performance among the 382 tracked U.S. airports, as one of the busiest U.S. airports. According to the U.S. DOT Bureau of Transportation Statistics, drawn from 1,574,867 flights (2020–2025); its biggest delay driver is late aircraft.

Data updated 2026-06-13

81.2%
On-time
Top 76%
on-time, US airports
81 min
Delay when late
1.80%
Cancelled

Key Performance Metrics

Total Flights

1,574,867

Best Month

Sep 92.7%

Worst Month

Jul 88.1%

Delayed

295,934

Cancelled

28,401

LGA on-time rate vs. the national average

Ahead of the U.S. average across all 382 tracked airports.

0%100%U.S. average79%81.2%

Where LGA sits among all 382 tracked airports

LGA's 81.2% on-time rate falls in the 80-85% band, the 192-airport band it shares.

National on-time-rate distribution

airports

What this shows LGA is marked in the 80-85% band.

Delay Cause Breakdown

Top delay cause: Late Aircraft. Total delay minutes: 11,258,357.

Late Aircraft 41.0% (4,612,657 min)
Carrier 30.2% (3,403,992 min)
NAS (National Aviation System) 23.9% (2,695,928 min)
Weather 4.7% (529,840 min)
Security 0.1% (15,940 min)

LGA - seasonal on-time pattern

Best: September (92.7%) · worst: July (88.1%)

86%88%90%92%94% JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec 89.8%

Seasonal Performance Patterns

Monthly averages across all years of data. Best month: September (92.7% on-time). Most delays: July (88.1% on-time).

Month Avg Flights Avg Delayed Avg Cancelled On-Time %
December 22,386 4,665 259 89.8%
November 23,074 3,974 154 91.8%
October 22,393 3,517 141 92.5%
September 21,270 3,166 244 92.7%
August 21,891 4,289 475 90.4%
July 21,853 5,261 677 88.1%
June 20,465 4,765 559 88.6%
May 20,316 3,928 228 90.6%
April 20,317 3,575 532 91.4%
March 24,150 4,067 660 92%
February 21,591 3,931 345 91.4%
January 22,771 4,187 461 91.5%

Year-Over-Year Performance

Annual flight volume and on-time trends at LGA.

LGA - on-time rate by year

2020–2025, year-over-year trend.

88%90%92%94%96%98% 202020212022202320242025 95.4% 89.2% ▼ -6.5%
Year Flights Delayed Cancelled On-Time %
2025 271,431 29,417 4,123 89.2%
2024 324,902 28,609 3,846 91.2%
2023 327,444 29,871 4,487 90.9%
2022 338,830 36,121 8,931 89.3%
2021 174,784 12,565 1,532 92.8%
2020 137,476 6,278 5,482 95.4%

Cancellation & Diversion Analysis

Flight disruption statistics for New York, NY.

Cancellation Rate

1.80%

28,401 of 1,574,867 flights

Diversion Rate

0.13%

1,997 of 1,574,867 flights

Delay Rate

18.8%

295,934 of 1,574,867 flights

Monthly Performance

Recent 24 months of flight data.

Period Flights Dep Delayed Arr Delayed Cancelled Diverted
Dec 2025 22,724 3,448 3,774 546 14
Nov 2025 23,157 2,920 3,598 420 18
Oct 2025 24,005 2,701 3,442 310 21
Sep 2025 22,774 1,743 1,908 101 26
Aug 2025 23,165 2,211 2,436 207 65
Jul 2025 23,390 3,245 3,397 1,024 70
Jun 2025 22,517 3,154 3,557 527 67
May 2025 22,675 2,630 3,193 210 42
Apr 2025 22,662 1,740 2,101 70 39
Mar 2025 22,441 2,052 2,563 128 30
Feb 2025 20,107 1,786 1,996 258 16
Jan 2025 21,814 1,787 2,278 322 17
Dec 2024 26,030 2,854 3,022 45 29
Nov 2024 26,731 1,557 1,755 16 15
Oct 2024 28,305 1,565 1,580 90 18
Sep 2024 27,101 1,454 1,478 57 26
Aug 2024 28,272 3,108 3,375 1,085 62
Jul 2024 28,688 3,665 4,045 771 66
Jun 2024 27,122 2,837 3,081 472 51
May 2024 28,185 2,848 3,142 227 68
Apr 2024 27,033 2,112 2,177 191 29
Mar 2024 26,732 2,261 2,429 50 21
Feb 2024 25,285 1,771 1,869 260 17
Jan 2024 25,418 2,577 2,744 582 32

Top Routes from LGA

Busiest routes to and from New York, NY.

Route Flights On-Time Distance
ORD (Chicago) → LGA (New York) 56,539 78.2% 733 mi
LGA (New York) → ORD (Chicago) 56,521 80.8% 733 mi
ATL (Atlanta) → LGA (New York) 42,079 80.8% 762 mi
LGA (New York) → ATL (Atlanta) 42,078 82.2% 762 mi
LGA (New York) → BOS (Boston) 39,006 82.4% 184 mi
BOS (Boston) → LGA (New York) 38,931 83.4% 184 mi
DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) → LGA (New York) 33,252 78.2% 1,389 mi
LGA (New York) → DFW (Dallas/Fort Worth) 33,246 79.4% 1,389 mi
LGA (New York) → MIA (Miami) 30,353 76.9% 1,096 mi
MIA (Miami) → LGA (New York) 30,316 75.4% 1,096 mi
DCA (Washington) → LGA (New York) 28,869 80% 214 mi
LGA (New York) → DCA (Washington) 28,793 82.8% 214 mi
CLT (Charlotte) → LGA (New York) 28,574 77.9% 544 mi
LGA (New York) → CLT (Charlotte) 28,570 84% 544 mi
LGA (New York) → MCO (Orlando) 25,848 74.6% 950 mi
MCO (Orlando) → LGA (New York) 25,822 74.7% 950 mi
DEN (Denver) → LGA (New York) 24,370 75.6% 1,620 mi
LGA (New York) → DEN (Denver) 24,360 80.6% 1,620 mi
FLL (Fort Lauderdale) → LGA (New York) 24,199 75.8% 1,076 mi
LGA (New York) → FLL (Fort Lauderdale) 24,183 74.5% 1,076 mi

Airports With a Similar On-Time Rate

Other U.S. airports nationwide whose on-time rate is closest to New York, NY's 81.2%.

Providence, RI

81.2% on-time 160,073 flights

Philadelphia, PA

81.3% on-time 1,060,086 flights

St. Louis, MO

81.3% on-time 687,272 flights

Memphis, TN

81.3% on-time 251,985 flights

Traverse City, MI

81.3% on-time 50,174 flights

Montrose/Delta, CO

81.3% on-time 32,233 flights

Other Airports in New York

Compare performance with other New York airports.

JFK 79.4%

New York, NY

New York · 1,274,816 flights
BUF 80.6%

Buffalo, NY

Buffalo · 221,909 flights
SYR 81.5%

Syracuse, NY

Syracuse · 131,663 flights
ALB 80.9%

Albany, NY

Albany · 129,222 flights
ROC 82%

Rochester, NY

Rochester · 126,934 flights
HPN 79.1%

White Plains, NY

White Plains · 117,692 flights
ISP 77.9%

Islip, NY

Islip · 54,300 flights
ELM 84.5%

Elmira/Corning, NY

Elmira/Corning · 13,181 flights

Keep exploring

More flight data around New York, NY.

New York flight data

Statewide on-time and delay aggregates, plus every reporting airport in New York.

View NY data →

Airport rankings

See where LGA sits among U.S. airports on on-time rate and average delay.

Best on-time airports →

Compare airports

Put LGA head-to-head with another airport on delays and reliability.

Open comparison tool →

What the Data Says About LGA

New York, NY in New York, New York handled 1,574,867 flights in the Bureau of Transportation Statistics dataset between 2020 and 2025, posting a 81.2% on-time departure rate. Of those flights, 295,934 experienced delays, 28,401 were cancelled, and 1,997 were diverted. The cancellation rate works out to 1.80%, the diversion rate to 0.13%, and the average delay when departures run late is 80.6 minutes. These figures are the baseline for comparing LGA against other airports in the same state and nationally.

Breaking down what drives delays at LGA, Late Aircraft leads the pack. Late Aircraft accounts for 41.0% of total delay minutes, followed by Carrier at 30.2% and NAS (National Aviation System) at 23.9%. Weather contributes 4.7% of delay minutes at this airport, while security holds the smallest share at 0.1%. Travelers often overestimate the weather share; the BTS categorization shows late-arriving aircraft and carrier operations as the larger contributors.

Seasonally, September runs the cleanest at LGA with a 92.7% on-time rate, while July is the roughest at 88.1% - a 5-point swing between best and worst month. Volume peaks in March, when average flights hit 24,150. The busiest route connecting LGA is to ORD (Chicago), with 56,539 flights at a 78.2% on-time rate. Combine these numbers - 81.2% on-time, 80.6-minute average delay, 1.80% cancellation rate, and you have a concrete picture of departure reliability at New York, NY.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the on-time performance rate at New York, NY (LGA)? ▼
New York, NY has an overall on-time departure rate of 81.2%. Out of 1,574,867 total flights tracked, 295,934 experienced delays and 28,401 were cancelled.
What is the most common cause of delays at LGA? ▼
The top delay cause at New York, NY is Late Aircraft. Late Aircraft accounts for 41.0% of all delay minutes.
What is the average delay time at LGA? ▼
The average delay at New York, NY is 80.6 minutes. This includes delays from carrier issues, weather, National Aviation System constraints, security, and late-arriving aircraft.
What is the best month to fly from LGA? ▼
Based on historical data, September has the best on-time performance at LGA with 92.7% of flights departing on time.
What is the worst month for delays at LGA? ▼
July tends to have the most delays at LGA, with an on-time rate of only 88.1%.
How many routes operate from LGA? ▼
New York, NY serves at least 20 routes. The busiest route is ORD to LGA (Chicago - New York) with 56,539 flights.
What is the cancellation rate at LGA? ▼
New York, NY has a cancellation rate of 1.80%, based on 28,401 cancelled flights out of 1,574,867 total flights tracked.

Flight Guides

Data-driven guides to help you understand airport and flight performance.

Best & Worst Airlines for On-Time Performance

Which carriers consistently outperform peers

Why Flights Get Cancelled

Cancellation causes broken down by data

How to Choose Reliable Flight Routes

Use delay data to pick flights that arrive on time

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Data Source: Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS), On-Time Performance Data (2020–2025). Statistics reflect cumulative performance across all available reporting periods. On-time rates exclude cancelled and diverted flights.

Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.

Using LGA's data

An airport-level on-time rate is a starting point, not a guarantee for your specific flight.

  • Check the busiest route from LGA before you book a connection. See top routes
  • Travel in September rather than July if your dates are flexible. Seasonal patterns
  • Scores vary by airline and route within the same airport; check the specific carrier you're flying. Browse airlines

On-time rate reflects the BTS historical average across all reporting carriers at this airport, not any single flight or airline.

Related

All airports → | Rankings →
Data sourced from U.S. Department of Transportation Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) On-Time Performance data. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainFlights Editorial

Source: U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Airline on-time performance and operational reliability · 2025

Every figure on PlainFlights is rendered directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no number is typed in by an editor. Airport figures are computed directly from BTS On-Time Performance data, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.